More than half a million Ukrainians died as a result of political repressions, – Turchynov

As a result of political repression, killing more than half a million Ukrainians. This was announced by Secretary of national security Council and defense Oleksandr Turchynov, the press service of the NSDC.

“Dry statistics indicate that as a result of political repression killed more than half a million Ukrainians. And how many of them passed through the Stalinist camps and in Siberian settlements, were subjected to severe torture and persecution! How many were forced to leave their Homeland forever! For each fate – sorrow, tears and suffering to the whole of Ukraine. Mutilated families, children left without parents, the constant fear and suspicion,” – said Turchinov.

He added: “what happened in the Soviet Union, is happening in Putin’s totalitarian Russia, where political repression have become the norm, as well as in the occupied territories, in particular in the Crimea. It was there, just like 72 years ago, again there is a genocide of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people”.

Related news: In Ukraine, a minute’s silence in memory of victims of political repression

According to the NSDC Secretary, the Revolution of dignity snatched Ukraine from “steel embrace of a totalitarian neighbor, dashing the Imperial delusions of the Kremlin leaders.” “Eternal memory to the victims and tortured to death in Soviet concentration camps… We must remember… Must make every effort to be in Ukraine not to repeat such, and protect our state from aggressive encroachments of Russia”, – said Turchinov.

Recall, may 15, in Ukraine remember victims of political repressions.

According to the decree of the third President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko No. 431/2007 “On measures in connection with the 70th anniversary of the Great terror – the mass political repression of 1937-1938”, this date is celebrated annually on the third Sunday of may.

Today, President Petro Poroshenko, the government and Parliament, the clergy and the public on the territory of National historical memorial reserve “bykivnya graves” (Kiev) will honor the memory of those who are buried there, victims of Stalinist repression. This is stated in the report of the Institute of national remembrance.

Bykivnia burial of victims of Stalinist repression refers to the largest on the territory of Ukraine. During 1937-1941. trucks almost every night brought a body shot in the Kiev prison of the NKVD for secret burials in Bykivnia forest. Last found peace here, according to various estimates, from 15 to more than 100 thousand people who were tortured during interrogation or were shot extrajudicially by NKVD in Kyiv. Among them – writers Mikhail Semenko, Mike Johansen, Veronica Chernyakhovsky, the artists Mikhail Boichuk, Mykola kasperovych, academics Fedor Kozubovsky, Petro Suprunenko, UAOC Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivsky tens of thousands of other victims of Stalin’s “Great terror” in 1937-1938.